Daniel lived in a way that made him stand out from all his peers. His life exemplified his faith and the power of his God. His trust in God in every avenue was unique and obvious to everyone around him. Lord, although I am not interested in the persecution side, I pray that people would recognize You in all of my actions!
God has a claim on everything in our lives and is able to use anything and everything to help us to see and understand who He is. Tragically, Ezekiel’s wife dies and God uses it as a lesson for all His people…and Ezekiel has no say. Yet through His suffering, He knows that God is with Him and is using him. Lord, help me to see You just as clearly and have confidence in You!!!
We don’t usually expect our story to turn to a tragedy, we are looking for success and victory. But unfortunately, we are not the authors of our story…instead we are called to trust the Author and have confidence in His promises. Lord help me to trust You even when things are not going the way I expect.
Obedience to God always seems like such an easy straightforward task…which in reality it is! But being surrendered to His plan enough to trust that it is best is the hard part. We so often think that there is another way, one that will be less painful, less scary, less embarrassing…but that way always leads to more destruction. Lord, help me to trust You only and reject my ways of foolishness!
It is so easy to focus on the present trial we are in…they loom so large, we can forget anything else exists. But this passage reminds us that we need to pursue memories of Gods past faithfulness. It is always worth the effort to be reminded of how God has come through in past time in my life or in the lives of friends. God, You are so good and we have such bad memories…strengthen me to meditate on you faithfulness!
There is only one thing that we can 100% rely on every moment, in every situation: the God of the Universe! We often however depend on our achievements or wealth which, seems reliable, until it can’t save us from a cancer diagnosis or a spouse that has left us. Those things are powerless to help us no matter how hard we worked to get them! But God is able to stand up to anything, take us through every trial and personally be with us in the darkness.
Gods presence is constant, even when we cannot feel it. Our response to any scenario can be fear if we think we are stuck alone…but we never have reason to fear if we are Gods children, because He never leaves us, or forsakes us. Lord, help me to rest is You!!!
Lord, how many times have I pressed ahead trying to achieve what I wanted…help me to trust in You alone for direction and not try to force my own desires.
We so often want to know directly from God what He wants us to do in a specific situation…that is what the Israelites wanted here so they got Jeremiah to ask for them. After 10 days the Lord answered but it was not what they expected…
How we respond to Gods direction for us reveals our own hearts, do we want God or do we want to follow our own plans? Lord, help me to follow You at every opportunity, strengthen my faith to trust you and obey your instruction!
When the city fell God protected Jeremiah just as He promised…he was treated well and cared for even through the trial. The trial did not stop, evaporate or transform into something beautiful…but God was there, protecting, caring and guiding him in the midst of it all!
Lord, thank you that you never leave us and promise to always care for us. Help me to trust you more!!!
Jeremiah has such a hard calling: to declare Gods word to the people of Israel knowing they will reject it and hate him personally. This chapter we see him cursing the day he was born and wishing he would have died…he is in a tough situation that he cannot do anything about. He is fully reliant on God. Then we get this gem, “the LORD is with me.”
What a blessing that God does not shy away from the hard moments of our life, no matter where our mental health is or how much suffering we endure, God is with us.
This chapter sees God speaking about what He will accomplish over and over again. Much of it is focused on allowing destruction and punishment…but then Jeremiah pours out his heart. And this is Gods answer of protection and restoration. Interestingly, God doesn’t tell him that he will be free of trouble, but rather that he will enable him to endure the trial and redeem him.
Probably not very comforting, but so good to know that God is working…even in situations that seem hopeless. Lord, help me to trust that you are at work, even when I don’t see it.
How incredible is the fact the God sees us, knows us, cares for us and even loves us?!? It may be easier to think this at times when we are near to God, but Jeremiah is saying this prayer while they are struggling/rejecting God. They are far from Him, yet are intimately seen.
Lord, bring my heart close to You. Remind me of how clearly You see me. Don’t let my self centered thoughts be convincing that You are not near…let me feel Your presence and know Your care for me. Help me trust You and nothing else!
Self reliance is devastating…we have no control over anything in this world. That is not so with God, He is sovereign, He is omnipotent, He is omnipresent, He is God. Since we cannot rely on ourselves, we MUST rely on Him. We must trust Him, believe Him, rest in Him, have faith in Him only. That is the ONLY path to peace…
Why is Gods timing so much different than what I desire? Isaiah suggests that He wants us to act on His strength not our own…He wants us to trust His plan, not be fixated with our own controlling efforts…He wants us to have a Birds Eye perspective rather than be stuck in the trees…He wants us to have Faith in Him.
Lord, help me to trust your timing, plan and ability! We both know my plans are weak and failing…
““Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”
Jeremiah 32:27 ESV
What a delight to remember that nothing is impossible for God. So many things around me seem broken beyond repair but God is bigger than all of them! The damage and destruction that people cause themselves are the raw material of Gods handiwork.
Lord, help me to believe that is true…restore my faith in Your purposes. Lord would You be glorified by putting every piece in place and drawing each person back to close relationship with You!
“And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.””
2 Chronicles 14:11 ESV
Dependence on God rather than our own strength or wisdom is critical for following God. It’s very easy for me to fall into my own strength without paying attention to this.
Lord, I need my eyes open to see when I depend on my own strength and ideas. I need my ears tuned to your voice so that I can know where You are leading.
“Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man! The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you became king, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a man of bloodshed! ” The king replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? He curses me this way because the Lord told him, ‘Curse David! ’ Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that? ’ ””
2 Samuel 16:7-8, 10 CSB
Absaloms fate was sealed because he was going against God. David on the other hand allowed the guy to continue cursing him, just in case it was from God…David shows that he is willing to suffer, if it is Gods plan.
Lord, help me to look for Your guidance in every thought, woe or action I take!
“They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him. ”
1 Chronicles 5:20 CSB
Even in this boring list of names, we are told of a group of people who trusted God and defeated their enemies because they turned to Him in prayer. God listened and acted on their behalf for one reason: they trusted in Him! Not trusting in themselves, their skill, their numbers or their strength…they trusted God! Lord, I pray that my words, actions and motives reflect that I trust You in every moment of my life…
“Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies. For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory. But you give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced. We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah”
Psalms 44:5-8 CSB
Lord, sometimes it is so easy to trust in the skill You have given or the blessings You provide…remind me that those are not mine and that You are the only one worthy of trust. Help me to trust in You alone!
